


As We Were

by psychotraumatic



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Flash Fic, Food is a love language, M/M, Short One Shot, non-au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:02:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27734272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psychotraumatic/pseuds/psychotraumatic
Summary: Do you still remember when there were no glass walls, no cameras, no screams?Let's go back to how we were then, and stay as we are now.Written forSnapshots' November 2020 Birthday Challenge
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Lee Jihoon | Woozi
Comments: 4
Kudos: 31
Collections: November 2020 Birthday Challenge





	As We Were

**Author's Note:**

> I had planned to write more for the Non-AU Challenge but real life prevented me from doing so. Fortunately, the November Birthday Challenge gave me plenty of room to take care of some unfinished business.
> 
> This story is loosely based on a [particular event in 2017](https://twitter.com/minchanniwz/status/1322151932757045253).

There’s a large window that separates them from the real world. It’s times like these when he feels like a small fish in a large aquarium, with flocks of people peering in through the glass to catch a glimpse of them passing by. Other times, it feels like a cage that has them locked in place, unable to mingle and just be normal people like everyone else.

He knows he’s not alone in feeling that way, especially not after he hears Jihoon say he wants to eat dumplings. He notices how the other boy looks outside the window longingly, and Seungcheol is quick to realize that it’s not really the dumplings he’s craving.

The staff are none the wiser, though, buying them snacks from all the food carts outside after overhearing Jihoon’s comment. Everyone tucks into the food and gives their thanks, but Seungcheol doesn’t feel as satisfied as he should. In between taking small bites, his gaze travels around the room. It wasn’t long before his eyes met Jihoon’s, and somehow they agree that it’s just not the same.

Seungcheol carefully pads his way across the hall, making sure to avoid the loose floorboards. Some of them don’t sleep as soundly as the others after all, and he doesn’t want to explain to anyone why he’s dressed to go out in the middle of the night.

He considers it sheer luck when he opens the door to find Jihoon still awake. He sits up, squints his eyes, and grows curious as Seungcheol walks up to his bed.

“Get dressed and let’s go,” Seungcheol whispers. “I’ll explain later.”

Seungcheol’s heart swells with pride as Jihoon does as he was asked. He takes it as a small victory that Jihoon trusts him that much.

Just as quietly as he came, so he went with Jihoon.

“Is it later yet?” Jihoon asks. “You told me you’d explain later and we’ve been walking for ten minutes now.”

“Just a bit longer,” Seungcheol replies.

Jihoon huffs, grumbling complaints under his breath that this impromptu trip was taking up too much of his would-be sleeping time. “You better not be the one to wake me up tomorrow.”

“Well, if you think it’s taking too long—”

As Seungcheol trails off, he grabs Jihoon’s hand and makes a run for it, dragging the other as fast as their legs can go. It’s reminiscent of the times they used to sneak out and run away, stealing into the night to do as they pleased.

Just like before, Seungcheol gets to hear Jihoon’s surprised squeals and cheerful laughter echo against the night.

Seungcheol drops his hold on Jihoon when they finally come to a stop, a hand reaching over his chest in a futile attempt to calm his breathing. He brings his attention back to Jihoon not long after, smiling to himself when he notices the look of awe on the other’s face.

It wasn’t really much. It was just a small tent and a short row of food carts populated by some college students looking for a late-night snack and several workers having an after-hours drink.

“Get whatever you like,” Seungcheol says. “It’s my treat.”

He stifles a laugh as Jihoon practically skips to the cart selling some dumplings, cutely asking the lady behind the counter if he can have extra soup with his fish cakes too. He orders tteokbokki and kimbap as well, leaving him with a peculiar dilemma of not having enough hands to carry everything. Seungcheol appears by his side after paying for the food, grabbing two of the plates before walking over to a vacant table.

Unlike earlier, Jihoon indulges himself, even humming a small tune as he chews on his bite of dumpling. Seungcheol wonders how good it is for him to be that happy, one hand reaching for a piece only to be swatted away. With eyes wide, he looks to Jihoon, shaking his head at the teasing smile the other flashes before successfully picking up a dumpling.

“How is it that this isn’t the same place but it somehow tastes the same?” Jihoon asks.

“It’s not that it tastes the same,” Seungcheol starts. “It’s more like a feeling.”

“I remember when you used to kidnap me like this when we were trainees.”

“I didn’t kidnap you,” Seungcheol sputters.

“Ok, fine. It wasn’t kidnapping. I came willingly.”

Their time continues that way, with delicious food and fun banter to keep them warm in the middle of a chilly spring night.

They take their time going home, pace slow as they recount odd memories here and there. They both feel like school kids who escaped their home in favor of some hijinx, but it really was just the two of them going back to how things were before.

“Do you miss it? Doing things like this?”

“Sometimes. Then I realize that nothing can really stop me from doing this, so I don’t.”

“Choi Seungcheol, you rebel,” Jihoon says, putting on a scandalized face for show.

Seungcheol just throws his head back in laughter.

“Well, I miss it a lot,” Jihoon continues. “So thank you for taking me out.”

“My pleasu—”

Seungcheol doesn’t get to finish his sentence when Jihoon places a kiss against his cheek.

“This was how we used to end the night back then, right?”

Seungcheol looks at Jihoon, notices the pink coloring his cheeks and the shuffling of his feet. Seungcheol finds it cute that he can still get shy after all this time.

“I remember things a little differently.”

Before Jihoon can even ask what he means, Seungcheol dips his head to press their lips together.

“This is how we were.”


End file.
